Coming Soon: A New Look For WKTN.

You know that feeling you get when you finally complete a major project? One of elation, satisfaction or just plain relief. Most of us have had this experience when working on projects that take several weeks or even months to complete. I however and proud to say that I am close to completing a project that has been five plus years in the making.

I am proud to say that soon (very soon) there will be some changes to Kenton Today.com, the website that is connected to WKTN Radio. And I hope that many of the changes will be well received by the people who happen to use the site.

I can’t say when the genesis of this project began, but I know that it’s been over five years in the making. On the surface that wouldn’t seem much, but when you’re hoping to put out a product that is intended to meet the needs of the majority of those who happen to use the site, you want to make sure that it’s done right. 

Looking back, it amazes me what all has happened in the last five years since I began working on this upgrade. For one, many of the people I know and consider to be good friends I didn’t even know existed then, and in that time I went to college and completed by undergraduate degree. All while in the process of working on this one project. You could say, save for some other major projects, it’s been my life for the past few years. And now, it’s complete.

When I began this project, I had no idea how much I didn’t know about content management, analytics, web design and formatting, as well as designing an appropriate site that can be easily managed. Consulting with industry insiders, but also with many of the people I’ve met through the University of Findlay, I was able to hone, trim, and otherwise tailor our ideas to better suit the needs of our audience. Without their contribution, this project couldn’t be where it is today.

Last year, the station did some research into our audience, and we found (no surprise) that local was the main focus. People who go to our site want local. Local news, obits, sports, weather, community events, and so on. So to that end, we’ve tailored it to fit that audience, and hopefully they will respond.

So what does it look like? Well, below is the current site.

And here is what it will look like once it is launched.

This is only a picture of course. There are some minor things to deal with between now and the launch, and until we correct them, we can’t say for certain when we’ll switch. But rest assured, change is coming, and hopefully it will be for the better.

To say that I’m elated that we’re finally at this point would be an understatement. It has been a labor of love, hate, and frustration, and it will continue to be as we work through it. But I couldn’t be more pleased with the final result. We have a site that I think the whole community can be proud of and utilize. 

I couldn’t ask for more than that.

Fair Tour 2013: One for the books!

Having time off is necessary from time to time if one is to keep their sanity. Some people find some exotic locale and decompress, while others spend their time in other pursuits. The idea of course is to spend your days doing something that you want to do, rather than something that you have to do. What determines this can depend on any number of factors (time, money, resources,) but hopefully it’s all in good fun and worthwhile. Over the last week, I spent some time doing just that.

Given my current financial situation, I decided to spend vacation doing something I’ve wanted to do for a while, which is to go on a fair and festival tour. Many people don’t really understand this, and I suppose I can see their point, but for me there’s something intangible to be found in how a community chooses to gather together and celebrate itself. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always been drawn to fairs and festivals. Perhaps it’s where the soul of a community truly lies.

At any rate, given the time of the vacation, this tour took me to the Auglaize County Fair, Greene County Fair, Preble County Fair, Ohio State Fair, Wood County Fair, the Dublin Irish Festival, and the Indiana State Fair. To say that my feet were killing me at the end would be an understatement, but I can say that I had more fun on this vacation than I believe I’ve had in some time.

When you’re at these places, you get a feel for the community. It’s values, goals, and ideals, and in addition to that, you can see what the community puts up as an example of what it can do. Additionally, many of us here in Hardin County get a somewhat jaded view of this sort of thing because we have a couple of really good fairs and festivals, namely the Hardin County Fair, which is awesome, but it helps to see what happens elsewhere. Perhaps it might even inspire an idea to try in your local community.

But the biggest thing I’ve enjoyed is watching the people. I find human nature and interaction interesting and watching how people interact with one another in a large festival is amusing, interesting and gratifying. Whether it be young girls trying to act older than they are, older people still going, or young guys with no clue as to what lies in store for them walking around with an inflated sense of confidence.

Some examples: sometime watch how people walk on pathways. You’ll notice that people tend to walk as they drive, which means that in this country you walk on the left side of the path at all times. While in Dublin, there was a line down the middle of the roadway which was being used as a pathway, and it was amusing to see the vast amount of people walking on their designated side as if they were driving on the road.

Children are especially amusing. When we were walking into the Indiana State Fair, I noticed a father and his young daughter walking out to their car. They were holding hands but the girl (who was four or five) kept staring wide eyed at the inflatable dolphin that the father had won for her at a carnival game. The look on her face, which was one of wide eyed amazement and anticipation of getting a new toy, was really great.

When we’re out and about, sometimes we miss those moments, ones that we remember, or that hit us at just the right moments. And sometimes we’re so caught up in our own agendas that we miss all that is going on around us. It helps from time to time to be reminded of that, and to take the time to get out in the world and explore if for no other reason, than our own sanity. This was a gratifying vacation, and I hope to continue it sometime in the future.